Manipulated
by RendedHeart
Summary: When a young boy on Ravnica sees his family murdered by a mysterious woman in a white dress, he finds himself alone on the streets without anything. After being saved by his godfather and being brought to his new family, he must discover the truth about the lady in white, and himself.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One: A Broken Boy**

 _Fate, is a funny thing,_ Lady Black thought to herself. She had gone in searches across the entire multiverse in search of one of her kind. A planeswalker was what she needed, one who had yet to spark. One she could control, the first step in her plan. And while she had met many, many, others who shared the spark every single one had become powerful. Every single one had already sparked. So, she returned home, prepared to relax with a glass of wine and check up on her family, much as they hated her. And now, hovering a few feet in the air, looking out at a small house on the tin street market, in the dead of night she saw them. Two children, playing hide and seek, one of whom was exactly what she needed.

* * *

"Katie! Go find your brother! Dinner's ready!" A pudgy woman with chestnut hair shouted from the porch of the tiny hovel she lived in. The first child, a small girl with the same hair and blue eyes shouted back,

"I'm trying! He's really hidden himself this time!" She ducked her head underneath the nearest marked stall, her freckled covered face scrutinizing every shadow in hopes of finding her brother. Lady black looked out to the market, looking for any sign of the second child in the shadows. When she found none, she lowered her legs from a sitting position, to dangling straight down, only hovering a few inches off the ground. Her white dress followed, dragging across the ground and disguising the fact that her bare feet weren't touching it at all.

"Your father made mac and cheese tonight!" Exclaimed the mother, "And if you two don't get here soon it'll get cold!" The girl redoubled her search, checking underneath the bare market stalls with renewed fervor, moving as fast as her feet could carry her. As the first child rounded the corner, searching for the door, Lady Black made her way to the front door of the hovel, brought her knuckles up and knocked, three times. "Finally," Lady black hear muffled rom the other side of the door, "Get in here you two-" The woman with the chestnut hair was cut off as she stared in shock. Then, silently, the two went inside and the door closed behind them.

Making sure to waste no time, Katie checked every stall as fast as she could. One after the other, but they all proved empty. One had some empty grates, another had some rotted bolts of cloth, holes chewed through it by insects. She stood in the middle of the market, eying the other six stalls she had yet to check.

"Oh well, since I can't find you, I guess momma and I will have to eat all of daddy's mac and cheese all by ourselves," Katie said, letting out an overly-exaggerated sigh, Draping the back of her palm on her forehead.

"MAC AND CHESE!" Jacob shouted, his muffled voice carrying well from behind the rotten bolts of cloth as he climbed through, sending ruined fabrics rolling throughout the market.

"Found you!" Katie said, grabbing his arm and pulling him up to standing position.

"Pffft, you walked straight passed me and checked another two stalls before you had to lure me out with mac and cheese. There is mac and cheese, right?" Jacob asked.

"You'll have to follow me and find out," Katie said, running back to the house. Jacob followed, hot on her heels, barely keeping up. Katie was far faster than him, but the house wasn't far, and as soon as they passed this intersection they would- _**AIEEIEEEE.**_ The scream caught him off guard and curdled his blood. Then slowly, the door to his house opened. A woman in a white dress, stained with blood floated out, slowly.

"There you are children," The woman said, "I'm afraid about that," she said, gesturing to the house, "an unavoidable accident, but I'll have to ask that you come with me now." Tears streamed down Jacob's face, splattering the floor as he stepped back. He knew that wat too much blood to have come from one person. He looked at the open door of his house and saw one hand, laying on the steps, unattached to its arm.

"Mommy?" He cried, his eyes drifting from the disembodied hand. Then, calm as ever, his big sister kneeled next to him and put one hand on his shoulder,

"Run."

"But-"

"Run and never look back," She said, turning away from him and facing their mysterious assailant. Sparks formed in her fingers, and the blood ran up the dress of the woman, painting it red. The rushed toward each other and as they clashed, Jacob turned and ran down the opposite street, towards the nearest Boros garrison.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two: Rescue**

Jacob didn't remember how long he had been walking. When the guards at the garrison had dismissed his tale as an overactive imagination, and refused to let him see anyone, he had just kept walking. He decided that moving on was the best thing. Maybe he could find the Selesnyans. His mother had told him stories of how they had fed her and her sister when she was a child. Ravnica was a big place, but if he just kept walking, he was sure that he would find them eventually. For three days he walked, and when he collapsed on the side of the street after three days without food or water, the only interaction anyone gave him was two burly men who checked him for coin, and upon finding none, moved him into a nearby alley. When he finally woke up, he thought he was lying in his soft bed at home, but the smell gave away that he was simply lying in a pile of rotten garbage. _I'm going to die here._ He thought, looking up at the sky. Already a few crows were perched on the nearby gutter, waiting for the next vestiges of life to leave him. He turned his head, looking back out the alley, where he met the gaze of a woman in a green cloak. Her eyes went wide, and she shouted,

"I found him! He's here!" the woman hurried over. When she reached him, she kneeled, pulling her hood back to reveal two big amber eyes, and a head full of brown hair. The next thing Jacob knew, a man in a set of Boros armor was following her down the hallway, face red.

"Where is he! I'm gonna kill him!" The man wore a long cloak as well, but his was a very thick, red velvet. The man lifted him up by his shirt collar, "If it weren't for those guards we wouldn't have even known which direction you had gone! You should have come straight to us!" The man was furious, but Jacob was so tired and hungry that he barely managed to speak,

"Who are you?" before passing out.

* * *

Dakkir's rage soothed almost instantly. He lifted the boy up into his arms, carrying him back out of the alley and into the street.

"Will you tell me who he is now?" The woman in the green hood asked, looking at the boy, who was peacefully sleeping, "All you ever gave me was a description." Dakkir looked back over at his friend Elena. Despite being almost thirty, she was short, with dark brown hair held back in a braid, and a bow slung across her back.

"He's my godson," Dakkir replied, "But from that last quote I doubt he remembers who I am."

"How old is he?" Elena Asked, looking over the boy's features, "Six?"

"Eight, if I remember correctly," Dakkir said, readjusting the boy in his arms. "After we get him back to base," he continued, "we'll get some food and water in him."

When Jacob woke up, he had been dressed in some new clothes. They were a bit big, but it was better than wearing the sweat-soaked rags he had been for the past three days. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed he had been laying on and examined the room around him. It was small, with the bed taking up about one third of the room. On the opposite end, there was a dresser and an armor stand. A quick glance revealed that both were empty. Directly next to him was a bedside table with a mirror above it. _A Mirror!_ Jacob thought, jumping to the ground. The second he hit the ground however, he realized just how weakened he was. His legs turned to jelly and he was on his hands and knees, staring down at the short carpet. _How long have I been asleep? When was the last time that I ate? When was the last time I drank?_ Jacob put both his hands on the bedside table and pushed up with all his strength. After a few seconds of trying to stand on his shaking legs, he managed to get his eyes up to the bedside table. On the table, was a huge waterskiing, laying on its side, and a plate with three sticky, sugar coated, buns. He threw one leg over onto his bed, then the other, and stuffed his face as quickly as possible. It wasn't long before he couldn't fit anymore in, so he grabbed the water skin and chugged until it all washed down. It wasn't long until the plate was licked clean, and the water skin was empty. And so, with a belly full of food, he drifted to sleep on his bed, wondering where he was and who had saved him.

The nightmares came quickly. Vivid images of the woman in white cutting his family apart and pulling their blood out of their bodies and up her dress. First, his father, whose head was removed from his shoulders. Then, his mother who lost all her limbs and bled out. Then his sister, who cried as her throat was torn out and her brother just ran away. Then, in the dark, the boy was alone with the woman in the white dress. She floated toward him slowly and then, scooped him up in her arms and whispered in his ear,

"Don't worry, I won't hurt you. You belong to me now. Hush little one, I am all that matters." Jacob cried, being held gently against the slick gore of his own family as the woman in white coddled him with blood-stained arms.

"HEY KID! WAKE UP!" The voice startled him out of his nightmare, and he sat up, looking around his room. He was alone.

"Must've been part of the dream…" Jacob said to himself, standing up. He yawned, and stretched his arms up to the ceiling.

"No, I'm outside your door. Wake up and get out here, the commander wants to see you." The voice said. It was sweet, and familiar. _MOM!_ Jacob thought to himself as he threw open the door to his room and grabbed her in a tight hug.

"Mom… I thought you, and Katie, and Daddy were all dead. I'm so happy. I thought I was alone…" Jacob said through tears, gripping her tightly.

"Woah there… uh, little one that's a bit too close for comfort," A woman replied, pulling out of the hug and kneeling to eye level of the boy in front of her. Vaguely through tears, Jacob began to realize that this woman was clearly not his mother. For starters, she was a little taller and much thinner. She also had dark skin, unlike his mother's pale skin, and wore a green hood. The most glaring difference, however had to be that the woman in front of him was clearly an elf. _This must be the woman who rescued me in the alley!_ Jacob thought.

"I'm so sorry," Jacob said, backing away, "You just sound… exactly like my mom." Upon closer inspection of the woman he could see that she had many scars, and a bow slung across her back. _She must be some kind of soldier!_ "Is this Selesnya?" Jacob asked, looking around.

"What?" The woman replied, barely holding back her laughter. "Selesnya is a guild in many locations, not one specific place.

"Oh." Jacob said.

"Also, everyone you will meet here is guildless." The woman added, looking down at the boy. "Come with me, the commander wants to see you," She offered the boy her hand, and he accepted as they walked down the long corridor towards a thick wooden door.

* * *

"No." Dakkir said, staring down the former Dimir agent in front of him.

"What do you mean no!" The agent replied, fuming.

"I mean, N.O." Dakkir said, standing to his full height. "For starters, we are mercenaries, not common criminals, and I am not going to try and rob Orzhov coffers." The Dimir agent scowled. "Secondly, I cannot protect you from your former guild, the Dimir see all and hear all. They will find you, and I'm not going to put myself between you and them when the assassins arrive at my doorstep."

"But-"

"AND LASTLY, YOUR PLAN IS **COMPLETELY** SUICIDAL!" The former Dimir agent said nothing, he simply scooped up some scrolls off the nearby desk, and headed out the door, disappearing into the sunlight. _He won't make it a week._ Dakkir thought. Looking down at the heist plans before him. He was deep in thought when a knock brought him out of it.

"Commander. Boy's awake." Elena said from the other side of the door.

"Send him in," Dakkir replied. He could use some good news after a such long day. The thick wooden door that led from his office deeper into his home swung open, revealing his godson. He was dressed in plain white clothes, had his long hair in a tangle, and was clearly, very afraid. "It's alright son, none of us are here to hurt you. Are you alright? The boy nodded silently as he approached the desk. "I'm glad you aren't hurt. Do you know where the rest of your family is?" Dakkir had seen the house for himself. Mangled body parts everywhere, but no blood. He knew that the family was gone. He just needed to know how much Jacob knew.

"They're all dead." The boy said. Still gazing down at the ground. _So, he knows everything._ Dakkir thought. Dakkir walked over to the boy and put his hand on his shoulder.

"Do you know who I am?" He said, trying to comfort the boy. Jacob simply shook his head, staring down at the ground. "I'm your godfather. Your father and I would play guitar in your kitchen while you and your sister listened. And your mother would make tea with honey in it every time I came over. Things have been hard on you, but I promise I will do what I can to make life comfortable." The boy said nothing and continued looking toward the ground. "Would you like to meet the other members of our group?" Dakkir asked, standing up. For a moment, the boy said nothing, then he nodded in silence and took Dakkir's hand. _I have to do everything in my power to keep him from Lady Black,_ Dakkir thought, _Even if it costs me my life._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Family**

 _Tap. Tap. Tap._ Dakkir said nothing to Wilson as he and Jacob Walked down a dimly lit corridor. At first, Jacob heard nothing except for the sound of their feet tapping against the cold stone. But, as he grew closer to his destination, he could swear he heard laughing.

"You're more than welcome to try again anytime," one voice said clearly masculine.

"Don't get so cocky!" another said, more feminine, "I'll just have to make some more adjustments and then I'll be just as accurate as you!"

"It sounds like those two are competing with each other again," Dakkir said, "I hope Izz isn't in an awful mood when we get there." Jacob said nothing as he walked toward the ever-louder argument. "They can be a handful, but I think you'll like these two. They're just a few years older than you."

"Mmhmm." Jacob replied.

 _At least he's making noise now,_ Dakkir thought as he stepped into the range. Jacob looked up as he stepped into the brightly lit room. It was long and narrow, with targets made of straw at the far end. One was burned in several spots close to the middle; another was filled with knives, all in the dead center. As he examined the seemingly miraculous accuracy of the targets, he was barely aware of the two people arguing in front of him.

"You cheated!"

"How did I cheat! You watched the whole thing!"

"I don't know how but I'll figure it out!"

"Maybe you should just admit that I'm better at throwing knives than you are with your spells!"

"uh, settle down you two," Dakkir interrupted.

"HOW DARE YOU! TAKE THAT BACK!"

"IT'S THE TRUTH!"

"We have company, straighten up!" Dakkir interjected again.

"I'M GONNA TURN YOU TO ASH!"

"OH YEAH, LET'S GO RIGHT NOW!"

"ENOUGH!" Dakkir shouted, giving the guy in front of him a perfect roundhouse kick to the back of his head, sending him tumbling into the girl he was arguing with. The two landed flat on their asses, right in front of Jacob. Dakkir knelt beside him and pointed to the girl to his left. "The Idiot on your left is called Izz. She was formerly a member of the Izzet guild and has refused to tell us her name." Izz looked up, only now noticing the young boy in front of her. "The idiot on your right is named Arin, we know literally nothing about him other than that we found him with Izz, who would only join our group if we admitted him too." Arin looked up with surprise, only now seeing the boy in front of him.

"Sorry you had to see that, we didn't notice you," Arin said.

"Yeah, we're really sorry!" Izz added.

"Nice to meet you," Jacob replied, quiet as a mouse, "can you teach me to do that?" Jacob pointed at the targets down range, filled with knives and burn marks.

"When you're older," The two replied at the same time.

"Trust me on this one kid," Dakkir interjected, "you don't want your teachers to be troublemakers."

"HEY!" The two troublemakers shouted as Dakkir pushed Jacob out a side exit and down another long corridor.

* * *

Elena sat alone in her room, holding a dark brown cup of coffee in her hands. She could hear two sets of steps coming down the hallway towards her. One was clearly an adult and a heavy one at that. The other, younger. It could be Izz, or Arin, but her best guess is that it was the kid. _Jacob was his name I think._ She thought to herself, stirring some milk into her coffee. The footsteps grew closer to her door, until they stopped right outside.

"Should we knock?" one voice asked.

"No need." The other replied.

 _He knows me so well,_ Elena thought to herself, taking a sip of coffee from her mug before she walked over to the door and opened it. "Dakkir." Elena said.

"Elena," Dakkir replied. The two had a moment of silence as the boy next to Dakkir considered the room in front of him.

"That's a lot of plants…" Jacob finally said, breaking the silence. The room in front of him had one, large window instead of a far wall, with vines growing down the sides in place of curtains.

"I've always had a talent for making things grow," Elena said, a smile on her lips, "I figured I'd rather have some vines that curtains."

"Cool," Jacob replied, smiling, "Um… are you an elf?" Elena feigned shock, barely holding back her smile,

"What gave me away? Was it the ears? People always seem surprised to see my ears." For the first time since he arrived here, Jacob smiled; and then, a few moments later, he laughed a good long laugh. "Come on kid, let's gather up the others. It's almost dinner time." Dakkir looked out the window.

"I'll get a stew started, you guys grab Izz and Arin, then head on over to the dining room," Dakkir said.

"Sure," Elena and Jacob said, heading down the hallway to the shooting range.

 _He seems to be settling in alright. I just hope the tragedy that befell him doesn't rule his emotions later down the line._

* * *

Life at this little fortress would fall into a pattern as the years went on. Jacob opened up easily around Elena, but seemed to clam up around the others. Even Izz, who he described as his best friend, had a hard time getting him to smile, much less speak his mind. And so, as he got older, he decided to finally press the issue with Dakkir,

"I want, no NEED, to learn to fight. I have to learn what happened to my family, and who that woman was." Dakir was silent for a long time, seeming deep in thought, before he finally spoke,

"Very well." And so, the first day of Jacob's new life began.


End file.
